Conventional wheelchairs provide satisfactory performance in transporting a user within buildings and localized areas. The conventional wheelchair can be pushed by a caregiver or can be operated by a user having sufficient arm strength. Further, conventional wheelchairs can be folded to facilitate storage and transport in vehicles.
However, when the user is relatively weak and/or is unable to stand on their own, conventional wheelchairs have drawbacks. For example, the caregiver may be required to lift the user from the wheelchair and to position the user in a vehicle, a bed, or other location. This may be particularly difficult if the user is large and heavy and/or the caregiver is small and/or lacking in strength. Further, moving the user from the wheelchair to a vehicle may be difficult depending on the height and placement of the vehicle seat, and the configuration of the vehicle door.
As a result, moving a user from a wheelchair to a vehicle, and vice versa, may cause stress and/or injury to the user. In addition, it has been reported that employees in nursing and personal care facilities suffer more than 200,000 patient-handling injuries yearly.
Motorized wheelchairs permit the user to move about on their own, even when the user has limited strength. However, in the case of severely disabled users, a caregiver is required to lift the user from the wheelchair and to move the user to a vehicle, bed or other location, as in the case of conventional wheelchairs. Further, motorized wheelchairs are relatively expensive and require a large or specialized vehicle for transport.
Special wheelchair vehicles may include a wheelchair lift and may provide sufficient area for the user to remain in the wheelchair during travel. However, such special wheelchair vehicles are expensive and are practical primarily for hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved wheelchairs that address one or more of the above problems.